Bradford

Bradford's population increased by about 54,800 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population passed half a million

In the decade to 2011, the population of Bradford increased by 11.7%, from just under 468,000 to 522,000.

The addition of almost 55,000 people means this area's population was the fastest-growing in Yorkshire and The Humber and increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Bradford was home to, on average, 10 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This made it Yorkshire and The Humber's third-most densely-populated district.

Population density was higher than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Yorkshire and The Humber, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Bradford

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Bradford decreased by one year, from 35 to 34 years.

This area had the lowest average age in Yorkshire and The Humber and remained younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of about 12,000 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 70 and 79 years decreased by just over 200.

About 14.0% of people in Bradford are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Bradford by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Bradford

Bradford saw Yorkshire and The Humber's second-largest fall in the proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability.

In 2011, just over 1 in 17 (5.9%) in Bradford reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 6.8% in 2001. The percentage who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.5% to 3.8%.

Across the region, only Rotherham saw a greater fall in the proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability (from 7.7% to 6.8%).

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Bradford that rented privately increased from 9.7% to 18.1% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in seven (14.8%) households lived in social housing, compared with 16.2% in 2001. The percentage of Bradford households that owned their home decreased from 71.2% to 65.0%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 9.1% in 2001 to 15.9% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Private renting in Bradford increased by 8.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Bradford, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Bradford

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Bradford was among those who said they were Muslim, rising 8.8 points.

In 2011, 26.3% of respondents in Bradford gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 17.5% of those who answered in 2001.

Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion that described themselves as Muslim increased from 4.1% to 6.6%, while across England the percentage went from 3.5% to 5.6%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Bradford, 49.0% said they were Christian, compared with 65.4% in 2001. About 22.1% said they had no religion, compared with 14.5% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who disclosed a religious affiliation and said they were Sikh decreased from 1.1% to 1.0%.

In Bradford, 6.2% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 8.1% in 2001. In Yorkshire and The Humber, 6.8% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across England, 7.2% of people did not answer, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

The population who identified as Muslim in Bradford increased by 8.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Bradford by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Bradford

In 2011, 26.8% of Bradford residents said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, up from from 19.1% in 2001.

Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the percentage of people from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from 4.7% to 7.3%, while across England the percentage went from 5.2% to 8.0%.

Around 67.4% of people in Bradford said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, compared with 78.3% in 2001. About 2.5% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 1.5% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from 0.9% to 1.8%.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Bradford increased by 7.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Bradford by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of self-employment

Bradford saw Yorkshire and The Humber's largest rise in the proportion of self-employed people.

In 2011, just over 1 in 12 (8.6%) people aged 16 to 74 in Bradford said they were self-employed, compared with 6.8% in 2001. The percentage that were employed decreased from 49.7% to 48.8%.

Across the region, Rotherham saw the next largest increase in the proportion of self-employed people (from 5.9% in 2001 to 7.5% in 2011).

Every local authority area across Yorkshire and The Humber saw a rise in the proportion of self-employed people, as the regional average grew from 7.2% to 8.4%.

The rate of self-employment in Bradford increased by 1.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Bradford, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that said they were self-employed, March 2001 and March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Bradford working less than 16 hours increased from 1.9% to 3.4% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 14 (7.4%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 10.7% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 1.8% in 2001 to 3.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Bradford increased by 1.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Bradford, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

Bradford saw Yorkshire and The Humber's largest rise in the proportion of households with children.

In 2011, just over one in three (34.5%) households in Bradford had at least one dependent child, compared with 33.9% in 2001. The percentage with no children decreased from 56.7% to 56.3%.

Across the region, Sheffield saw the next largest increase in the proportion of households with children (from 27.3% in 2001 to 27.8% in 2011).

The proportion of households with children was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of households with at least one dependent child across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

The percentage of Bradford residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 2.3% to 2.4% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.2%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care decreased faster here than in any other local authority district across Yorkshire and The Humber. The improvement brought health in Bradford close to the regional average 2.6% in Yorkshire and The Humber described their health as good in 2011).

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Bradford remained close to 2.4%

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Bradford by care, March 2001 and March 2011

Relationships in Bradford

The proportion of married people fell in Bradford, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber, except Doncaster and North East Lincolnshire.

Every local authority area across Yorkshire and The Humber saw a fall in the proportion of married people, as the regional average fell from 51.9% to 47.0%.

During this period, Bradford fell below five local authority areas, including Barnsley and Calderdale, to become the Yorkshire and The Humber local authority area with the 10th-lowest percentage of married people.

The proportion of married people was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Bradford residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 10.2% to 5.9% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (80.4%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67.3% in 2001. While the percentage of Bradford residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22.6% to 13.7%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 10.3% in 2001 to 6.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Bradford decreased by 4.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Bradford, Yorkshire and The Humber and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

The percentage of households in Bradford, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 8.4% to 9.6% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under 3 in 10 (29.6%) households had only one person, compared with 28.8% in 2001. The percentage of households in Bradford which comprised a married couple (with or without children) decreased from 36.5% to 33.9%.

The proportion of households with an unmarried couple increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 8.7% in 2001 to 10.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 8.3% to 9.9%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple was lower than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of households that had an unmarried couple across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

↑ Back to the top

Area report data

Related links